Alexandra Bell (athlete)
{{short description|British middle-distance runner}}
{{For|the American artist|Alexandra Bell (artist)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Alexandra Bell
|image = Alexandra Bell (athlete) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham2.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Bell at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|11|4|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Leeds, England
|death_date =
|height = 166cm
|weight = 55kg
|country = Great Britain
England
|sport = Athletics
|event = 800 metres
|olympics = 2020
|show-medals =
|medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country|{{GBR2}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|European Cross Country Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|2019 Lisbon|Mixed relay}}
{{Medal|Gold|2021 Dublin|Mixed relay}}
}}
Alexandra Bell (born 4 November 1992){{cite web |title=Alexandra BELL – Athlete Profile |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/alexandra-bell-14360105 |website=World Athletics |access-date=1 January 2023}} is a British athlete who competed for Great Britain in the 800 metres event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, and for England at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Career
Alexandra Bell competes for Pudsey & Bramley Athletics Club.{{cite web| url= https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/alexandra-bell| title= Alexandra Bell| publisher= Team England| accessdate= 29 July 2018| archive-date= 29 July 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180729172812/https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/alexandra-bell| url-status= live}}
In 2016, she competed at her first Diamond League fixture, finishing seventh, and was the fifth fastest British 800 metres runner.{{cite news| url= https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/athletics/weekend-interview-time-for-leeds-s-alex-bell-to-step-up-the-pace-1-8272043| title= Weekend Interview: Time for Leeds's Alex Bell to step up the pace| work= Yorkshire Post| date= 21 November 2016| accessdate= 19 December 2018| archive-date= 19 December 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181219182706/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/athletics/weekend-interview-time-for-leeds-s-alex-bell-to-step-up-the-pace-1-8272043| url-status= live}}
In 2018, she competed for the first time at the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country.{{cite news| url= https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/four-scots-picked-gb-edinburgh-xc/| title= Four Scots picked for GB for Edinburgh XC| work= Scottish Athletics| date= 14 December 2017| accessdate= 19 December 2017| archive-date= 4 April 2019| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190404172130/https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/four-scots-picked-gb-edinburgh-xc/| url-status= live}}
Bell finished fifth in the 800 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.{{cite news| url=http://www.athleticsweekly.com/event-news/alexandra-bell-breaks-bmc-gp-800m-best-watford-98145| title=Alexandra Bell breaks BMC GP 800m best in Watford| work=Athletics Weekly| date=27 May 2018| accessdate=29 July 2018| archive-date=31 August 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831122057/http://www.athleticsweekly.com/event-news/alexandra-bell-breaks-bmc-gp-800m-best-watford-98145| url-status=live}}{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/44991393| title=Alexandra Bell feels 'let down' after not being selected by British Athletics| work=BBC Sport| date=29 July 2018| accessdate=29 July 2018| archive-date=11 April 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411024151/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/44991393| url-status=live}} In May that year, she became the first British woman to run 800 metres in under 2 minutes at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix. In July, she was not selected for the 800 m event at the European Championships, despite having run faster than two of the athletes selected.
In September 2019, Bell won the 800 m representing Europe in "The Match", a team competition against the US in Minsk, Belarus. She reached the semi-final of the 800 m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, setting a personal best time of 1:59.82. In December that year, she was critical of UK Athletics after not being included on the elite lottery funding list.{{cite web |last1=Sobot |first1=Lee |title=Alexandra Bell Slams british athletics and barry fudge for omission from lottery funding |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/more-sport/alexandra-bell-slams-british-athletics-and-barry-fudge-for-omission-from-lottery-funding-1-10153038 |website=yorkshirepost.co.uk |accessdate=19 December 2019 |archive-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219134053/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/more-sport/alexandra-bell-slams-british-athletics-and-barry-fudge-for-omission-from-lottery-funding-1-10153038 |url-status=live }}
In May 2021, Bell ran faster than the 800 m Olympic qualifying time at the Belfast Irish Milers.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/57291926| title=Belfast Irish Milers Meet: Alexandra Bell and Phil Healy advance Tokyo Olympic claims| work=BBC Sport| date=29 May 2021| accessdate=15 June 2021}} The event did not award points towards Olympic qualification, as it didn't have a European Permit.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/57184690| title=Belfast Irish Milers Meet: Belfast meeting loses European Permit status after Athletics Ireland intervention| work=BBC Sport| date=20 May 2021| accessdate=15 June 2021}} She finished fifth at the 2021 British Athletics Championships event, which doubled up as the Olympic trial event.{{cite web| url=https://results.britishathletics.org.uk/20210625_Manchester/timetable/index/Data/W/800_R_f.html| title=800 Metres – Women – Final| publisher=UK Athletics| date=26 June 2021| accessdate=29 June 2021| archive-date=1 July 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701171624/https://results.britishathletics.org.uk/20210625_Manchester/timetable/index/Data/W/800_R_f.html| url-status=live}} Bell was not initially selected for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when the athletics squad was announced in June 2021.{{cite web| url=https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/a-further-65-athletes-nominated-to-represent-team-gb-at-the-2020-tokyo-olympic-games/| title=A FURTHER 65 ATHLETES NOMINATED TO REPRESENT TEAM GB AT THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES| publisher=UK Athletics| date=29 June 2021| accessdate=29 June 2021| archive-date=29 June 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629121108/https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/a-further-65-athletes-nominated-to-represent-team-gb-at-the-2020-tokyo-olympic-games/| url-status=live}} On 8 July, she was selected for the 800 metres event at the Games, replacing Laura Muir, who had qualified for the event but later decided not to compete as she wanted to focus on the 1500 metres race.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/57769109| title=Tokyo 2020: Laura Muir in U-turn over Olympic double to concentrate on 1500m| work=BBC Sport |date=8 July 2021| accessdate=9 July 2021}} In the Olympic final, Bell finished seventh in a personal best time of 1:57.66.{{cite web| url=https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/tokyo-2020/results/athletics/women-s-800m| title=Athletics - Final Results| publisher=Olympics.com|date=3 August 2021| accessdate=13 April 2022}}
Bell was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 800 m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July. She was selected for the 800 metres event at the Commonwealth Games held in August in Birmingham that year,{{cite news| url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/keely-hodgkinson-marc-scott-max-burgin-alex-bell-and-scott-lincoln-to-represent-england-at-commonwealth-games-3740945| title=Keely Hodgkinson, Marc Scott, Max Burgin, Alex Bell and Scott Lincoln to represent England at Commonwealth Games| work=The Yorkshire Post| date=22 June 2022| accessdate=23 June 2022}} and finished sixth in the final.[https://b2022-pdf.microplustimingservices.com/ATH/2022-08-06/ATHW800M--------------FNL-000100--__C73G_1.0.pdf Final results] The same month, she placed sixth in the event at the European Championships staged in Munich.
Personal bests
- 800 metres – 1:57.66 (Tokyo 2021)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{World Athletics}}
- {{British Athletics}}
- {{Team GB}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{Team England|alexandra-bell}}
- {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|athletics/athlete-profile-n6037070-alexandra-bell}}
- {{Instagram}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Alexandra}}
Category:English female middle-distance runners
Category:British female middle-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for England
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games